#FreeAndFairElections - Commissioner Jourová opens first meeting of European co-operation network on elections

On Monday 21 January, Commissioner Jourová (pictured) will open the first European elections network meeting. This is one of the concrete actions to secure free and fair European elections proposed by President Juncker in his 2018 State of the Union address.

Scandals, such as the Facebook/ Cambridge Analytica case, have shown that elections might be influenced by the misuse of personal data during political campaigns.

Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Commissioner Věra Jourová said: "I want Europeans to be able to make a free decision when casting their vote in May. The threats to elections are now online, national authorities have to be equipped to guarantee fair and secure elections for all citizens. The European elections network will be the place to share intelligence on how to protect the electoral processes."

The European co-operation network will enable authorities to quickly detect potential threats to electoral processes, establish a swift and well-coordinated response to such threats, and encourage common projects and exercises among national networks. The network also supports cooperation with other European level groups and bodies. Member states have appointed a contact point for the European-level co-operation network.

While the first focus of the European network will be the upcoming 2019 European elections in May, its broader objective is to support the integrity of all national, regional and local elections in the EU. Up to four meetings will be held in 2019, followed by semi-annual meetings from 2020 onwards. The agenda of the meeting and more details about the European elections network can be found online.

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